Air mattress



Aug. 1o, 196s R. D. GRANT 3,199,124

AIR MATTRESS Filed March 29, 1963 E?? E INVENTR 7g4/kwa /ML gm UnitedStates` Patent O 3,199,124 Am MATTRESS Richard D. Grant, Shaker Heights,Ohio, assigner to The R. D. Grant Company, Cleveland, Ghio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 268,994 7 Claims. (Cl.5-349) point support for the heel portions description and the essentialfeatures thereof will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a top plan View of a hollow mattressembodying the present invention with ination and control apparatustherefor shown somewhat diag'rammatically;`

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are fragmental sectional views somewhat enlarged takenalong similarly numbered lines of FIG. l; FIG.V 5 is a plan View of aportion of a mattress taken in the same position as FIG. l andillustrating a modication; while FIG. 6 Vis a plan view of'a portion ofa mattress similar to FIG. 5 and illustrating a further modilcation.

It is now well known that patients who lie for long periods of time on allat mattress develop bed sores where pressure points occur between bonystructures and the mattress. To alleviate this condition withoutrequiring a great dealof nursing time for turning the patient manually,alternating pressure point mattresses are known wherein two sets ofinterdigitated cells are provided in the hollow mattress, alternatingones of which are inhated while those between are deilated and thiscycle is regularly repeated between the two sets of cells so thatalternately one set or the other is supporting the patient;

A diillculty with known alternating pressure point mattresses is thatthey fail to provide proper support for the heel portions of the patientbut instead permit the heels to lie in general xed pressure support withrespect to the bed so that sores may develop on the heels. The presentinvention obviates this diliculty.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 of the drawings, a pair of iluidtight ilexible synthetic plastic sheets lil are secured together in asubstantially continuous seam or seal extending entirely around therectangular periphery as seen in FIG. 1 by suitable application of heatand pressure in a well known manner. Two sets of parallel cells 11 and12 are provided across the entire mattress alternating with the sets ofone cell interdioitated between the cells of the other set. Along thelines indicated in full line in FIG. 1, the two sheets of syntheticplastic 1lb are sealed together continuously along such lines asindicated at A in FIGS. 2 and 3 by suitable application of heat andpressure. This provides a structure wherein all of the cells 11 areclosed at the left-hand end of FIG. 1 but are open to the passageway 13at the right-hand end. At the same time, all of the cells of the set 12are closed at the righthand end of FIG. l and communicate at theleft-hand end with the passageway 14. Preferably, hollow tubes 15 areinserted in the passageways 13 and 14 as shown in FIGS. l and 4 to makesure that these passageways do not collapse completely.

Preferably, means is provided for holding the hollow present inventionis to provide a novel with the pasageway 14.

mattress of FIG. 1 in position on a bed, usually on top of an ordinarymattress. Shown here are two end flaps 16 which are secured to the mainportion of the hollow mattress and serve to tuck under the head and footof an ordinary mattress to retain the hollow mattress in placethereupon. Y

To provide more closely spaced pressure points to support theheels of apatient lying on the hollow mattress, each of the cells 11 is bifurcatedas shown at 11' at the left-hand end of FIG. 1. In the pattern shownhere, each of the narrow cells 11 is of a width approximately one-halfof that of the broader portion of the cell 11. In one form of theinvention, the cells 11 are approximately two inches wide while the cellportions 11 are approximately one inch wide. It will be noted that thecell portions 11 are in direct communication with the main portion ofthe cell 11 and are inflated and dellated therewith. Other narrower cellportions 12 and 12 lying between the bifurcations 11' are in directcommunication with the cells 12 and the passageway 14 associatedtherewith so that all of the cells 12, 12 and 12 are inllated and deatedsimultaneously. The cell portions 12 and 12" are approximately the samewidth as the cell portions 11.

Any conventional means may be utilized for alternately inliating anddeflating the two sets of cells. Shown diagrammatically in-FIG. 1 is anair compressor 17` adapted for operation electrically by power connectedto the lines 1S. The compressor supplies pressure fluid through conduit18 to a pressure regulator 19 and then through acond'uit 20 to afour-way valve 21 which besides the inlet Ztl has an outlet toatmosphere at 22 and two other combined inlets and outlets at 23 and 24leading to the mattress. Outlet 23 has a discharge elbow 23a lying in apassageway 11a extending along the margin of the mattress andcommunicating with the passage 13 and all of the cells 11. Outlet 24 hasa discharge elbow 24a lying -in a passageway 12a parallel to 11a andcommunicating with the cross passageway 14 and all of the passageways 12through the narrower passageways provided by the cells 12". It isobvious that the cells 12 are in direct communication With the hollowmattress of FIG. 1 properly in position on a bed, the air compressor 17is operated and the valve 21 is manipulated either manually or by meansof a suitable timer to alternately inflate the cells 11 and thoseconnected therewith while the cells 12 and those connected therewith aredeflated, and then in -a regular cycle this is reversed while the cells12 are inflated and the cells 11 are dellated. In one embodiment of thisinvention, inflation of one set of cells takes place for two minutes,after which these are dellated in the next two minute period while thealternate set of cells is inflated. This results in the alternateinflation and detlation illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, the spacingbetween the cells 11 of one set as seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, or of thecells 12b, 12 12, in the other set, is so arranged that the pressure onthe heel of an adult patient must necessarily be varied from point topoint as the hollow mattress goes through its repeated cycle ofinilation and deflation of the alternate sets of cells.

In FIG. 5, I have shown a modification of the invention wherein thenarrower cells at one end only of the hollow mattress are sinuous. Iintend to use this term broadly to indicate any similar arrangement ofthe cells which is non-linear. Here the sheets of synthetic plasticmaterial 10, cells 11, 12, 11a, 12a and 12b as well as the passage- Ways13 and 14 are like those already described and may be inilated anddeflated in the same manner as described in connection with FIG. 1. Theonly difference in the embodiment of FIG. 5 is that the bifurcated cells110, communicating with the main portion of cells 11, are of zig-zag orsinuous form and, in the pattern shown, each of the cells 110 isapproximately one-third the width of the main portion of the cell 11. inorder to form a convenient and compact arrangement of the cells, it willbe noted that each of the narrower cells 110 is bent back upon itself at110" so as to inate an adjacent cell 11). Each of the cells 120 isinflated directly from the passageway 14 and each of the narrower cells12%) serves also to inflate one of the cells 12. The cells 12%)communicate directly with cells 12.

The operation of this second form of the invention is quite similar tothat shown in FIG. l. Alternately, the cells 11, 110, 110' are inatedthrough the communicating passageway 13 while the alternating cells 12,12%, 12S' and 120 are deflated through the passageway 14. At a suitableinterval, such as the two minute interval mentioned above, this processis reversed so that the previously deated cells are inflated and thepreviously inated cells are deflated. Here again, as in the firstdescribed form of the invention, the pressure points provided by thesinuous cells are closer together than the width of the heel of an adultperson so that the heel never rests on the same point for any length oftime and bed sores on the heel are prevented. In one embodiment wherethe cells 12 are two inches wide, the celis 1Z0, 12S and 120 are about5A; inch to 1%@ inch wide.

It is advantageous to have both sets of cells extending lengthwise ofthe body to be supported because there is thus less chance of blocking,by cell pressure, one of the main arteries of the body.

In FIG. 6, I have shown a modification of the invention which in allrespects is like that described in FIG. 5 with the following exceptions.Here the main body of the mattress, for supporting all but the feet andlower legs of the patient, is of alternate parallel linear cells 11 and12 of a broader width, for instance, two inches in one form. At the footend of the mattress, each of these cells is bent into a sinuous path bydiverging from the linear cell along approximately 45 and successivelyreversing the 45 bends until the cell returns to the line from which itoriginally diverged, In so doing, the narrower cell portions 11C and 12Care formed, each of these being a continuation of and in communicationwith its associated wider cell and being approximately one-half thewidth of the wider cell. It should be understood that this mattress hasa discharge end 23a discharging into a cell like 11a (not shown) whichfeeds the passageways 13 and 25. There is also a discharge end 24a whichfeeds the passageway 14 and all of the cells 12 separately from passages13 and 25. The operation of this form is like those previouslydescribed.

What is claimed is:

1. A hollow mattress for supporting the body of a patient upon a bed andcomprising liexible, fluid-tight sheet material divided into two sets ofelongated generally parallel liuid cells extending lengthwise of thebody to be supported thereon, one set of cells being adapted to beconnected with a source of pressure-fluid for inflation to abody-supporting position while the other set of cells is connected toexhaust, in use the inflation and deflation of said two sets of cellsalternating in a regular cycle, said cells at `one end only of saidmattress being formed with a lesser width cross-wise than the cell widthat other parts of said mattress, and said narrower cell width at saidone end being less than the width of an adult human heel.

2. A mattress as set forth in claim 1, wherein said narrower cell widthis in the range of approximately 5/a inch to one inch.

3. A mattress as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wider cells of one ofsaid sets are bifurcated lengthwise of said mattress at said `one end toprovide some of said narrower cells, and narrower cells lying betweensaid bifurcations are in communication with the other of said sets ofwider cells.

4. A mattress as set forth in claim 3 wherein said bifurcated cells areparallel to said wider cells and of a width approximately one-half thewidth of said wider cells.

5. A mattress as set forth in claim 3 wherein said bifurcated cells aresinuous.

6. A mattress as set forth in claim 5 wherein said bifureated cells areof a width approximately one-third of the width of said wider cells.

'7. A mattress as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said narrowercells is a continuation of, and in communication with, an associatedwider cell, each said narrower cell being formed by bending a linearwider cell into a sinuous path.

References Cited by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,719,986 10/55Rand 5-348 2,896,612 7/59 Bates et al 5-348 X FRANK B. SHERRY, PrimaryExaminer.

1. A HOLLOW MATTRESS FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY OF A PATIENT UPON A BED ANDCOMPRISING FLEXIBLE, FLUID-TIGHT SHEET MATERIAL DIVIDED INTO TWO SETS OFELONGATED GENERALLY PARALLEL FLUID CELLS EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THEBODY TO BE SUPPORTED THEREON, ONE SET OF CELLS BEING ADAPTED TO BECONNECTED WITH A SOURCE OF PRESSURE-FLUID FOR INFLATION TO ABODY-SUPPORTING POSITION WHILE THE OTHER SET OF CELLS IS CONNECTED TOEXHAUST, IN USE THE INFLATION AND DEFLATION OF SAID TWO SETS OF CELLSALTERNATING IN A REGULAR CYCLE, SAID CELLS AT ONE END ONLY OF SAIDMATTRESS BEING FORMED WITH A LESSER WIDTH CROSS-WISE THAN THE CELL WIDTHAT OTHER PARTS OF SAID MATTRESS, AND SAID NARROWER CELL WIDTH AT SAIDONE END BEING LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF AN ADULT HUMAN HEEL.